Pressing machine



Filed April 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aprfifi 2B, 1936. A. F. HANNEYPRESSING MACHINE v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1934 v INVENTOR IANGUS E HANNEY 7 BY flwiai, fl/

A ril 21, 1936. A. F. HANN EY PRESSING MACHINE FiledApril 19, 1934 3Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENT OR ANGUS E HANNEY BY W w.

Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE PRESSING MACHINEApplication April 19, 1934, Serial No. 721,260

12 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for removing condensate from. anelement of a pressing machine of the type used in laundry and garmentwork, and more particularly in a machine in e which the pressing elementhas a movement away from the operator and into pressing engagement witha coacting pressing element.

An object of the invention is to provide in a press having coactingpressing elements, one of which is provided with means for condensingvapors formed in a pressing operation, means for operating the press,and means actuated by the press operating means for removing thecondensate;

The invention also provides a hollow pressing element with the pressingsurface arranged to provide a bellows-like action when the pressingmembers are brought together, and means for moving the pressing membersrapidly into final pressing position so as to provide a vapor andcondensate removing action within the hollow member.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a press having a bedmovable into and out of registration with a head and into and out ofpressure engagement therewith, means for condensing and removingcondensate from the bed, and means for collecting the condensate in areceptacle positioned to receive the condensate in all of the variouspositions into which the bed may be moved.

The invention also provides power means for moving the pressing membersinto and out of pressing engagement with each other, and a reciprocatingpump adapted to receive condensate from the pressing operation duringone of the power strokes of the power means and to discharge thecondensate during another stroke of the power means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear inthe accompanying description when taken with the drawings andtheessential features are summarized in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pressing machineembodying my invention and showing the pressing elements in open andclosed positions; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the lower part of thepressing machine taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is anenlarged sectional detail of the pressing bed and its supportingcarriage; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the condensation removalmechanism; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the control mechanism along the line5-5 of .Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a view along the line 66 of Fig. 5; while Fig.7 is a schematic layout of the fluid pressure system.

While the invention in some of its broader aspects is applicable to manytypes of pressing machines actuated by power means, I have chosen toillustrate the condensate removal mechanism as applied to a fluidpressure operated press of the type illustrated, described and claimedin my copending application Ser. No. 721,259, filed April 19, 1934..

This press comprises, in general, frame members supporting a pressinghead 2|, and having rails 22 upon which moves acarriage 23 into and outof registration with the head. On the carriage is a bed member 24supported for vertical movement relative to the carriage from which itis raised by a contact member acting against a downwardly extendingpressure pin 25. A cylinder and piston motor 26 is supplied for movingthe bed into registering position and raising the bed from the carriageinto pressure engagement with the head. A piston 27 moves Vertically ina cylinder 28 which lifts a piston rod 29 together with a yoke or saddlemember 30 whichis secured to the piston rod. The saddle member in turnis'pivoted to a cam lever B! by a connection 32, the lever being pivotedto the frame at 33. The free end of the cam lever engages acarriagemoving lever 34 which is pivoted to the frame at 35. A link 36connects the carriage-moving lever to the carriage. Movement of thepiston upwardly 'in its cylinder causes counterclockwise movement of camlever 3|, which, durlever 34 and the bed to forward or open posi- 45tion. 39 indicates a snub-ber for the horizontal motion of the bed.

'The control valves for the supply and exhaust I moving the valvecontrols to fluid pressure exhaust position, the control of fluid flowto the release cylinder being by way of pilot valve 45.

The main fluid pressure supply is by way of conduit 46 and forwardlyextending passageway 41 which communicates by way of passageway 48(which is restricted as shown at 48') with valve 4|, by passageway 49with valve 42, and by passageway 50 with valve 45. Ontheir outlet sidesvalves 4| and 42 communicate with chamber 5| which also extends tocommunicate with one side of exhaust valve 43. Chamber 5| is connectedby conduit 52 with motor 26. The outlet side of pilot valve 45 isconnected by conduit 53 with release cylinder 44. The outlet side ofexhaust valve 43 is shown at 54.

The various control valves are normally closed by springs, and actuatorsfor opening them lie upon a common cam shaft 55 which is supported foroscillation in suitable bearings and is actuated in press-closingdirection manually by means of a forward pull upon control handle 56 bythe operator. Control handle 56 is connected with the cam shaft 55 by alink 51 and an arm 58 which is rigid with the cam shaft. A pull on themanual control will therefore move the shaft 55 in a clockwise directionas seen in Fig. 6, or counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 1, and will causecam 59 to engage the stem of valve 4| thus opening the primary inletvalve.

The exhaust valve 43 is actuated by a cam 68 rigid on shaft 55 and soarranged in relation to cam 59 that when valve 4| is closed valve 43 isopen and vice versa. When valve 4| is opened and valve 43 closed, piston29 starts upward and the bed moves toward registration.

The final pressure or secondary inlet valve 42 is actuated by a cam 6|on a sleeve 62 which is rotatable about an eccentric 63, which is rigidwith shaft 55.- The sleeve 62 and cam 6| are rotatable by an arm 64,which in turn is actuated by rod 65 which is pivotally connected withthe arm. Rod 65 depends in a position where it is engaged by the forkedend of a bar 66 which is rigid with the bed and moves rearwardly andupwardly therewith. When the control handle is pulled by the operator toinitiate press closing the cam 6| just touches the stem of valve 42. Asthe bed reaches registration bar 66 engages rod 65 and as the bed startsto move upward rod 65 is lifted, arm 64, sleeve 62 and cam 6| rotate tothe position of Fig. 6 and valve 42 is suddenly opened. The bed thenmoves rapidly into its final pressing position as valve 42 admits fullline pressure to motor 26.

To open the press, cam shaft 55 is rotated in the opposite direction.This is accomplished by release cylinder 44 mentioned above. Thecylinder is provided with a piston which is connected by a link with arm61 which is rigidly fastened to shaft 55. Fluid admitted to cylinder 44through passageway 53 will thus actuate cam shaft 55 in press-openingdirection which will close inlet valves 4| and 42 and will open exhaustvalve 43. Cylinder 28 is then evacuated and the bed moves downward andforward as previously described.

The supply of fluid to release cylinder 44 is controlled by pilot valve45. This valve may be actuated by a finger guard 68 which depends in afreely swingable position in front of the head and closely above thepath of travel of the pressing surface of the bed. The guard is adaptedto turn shaft 69 and arm Ill, which is pivotally connected by link Hwith arm 12, which in turn rotates a cam 13, free on shaft 55. Cam 13depresses the stem of valve 45 thus admitting fluid pressure to therelease cylinder. The finger guard thus is available toopen the press atthe will be the operator and will open the press as a safety device ifthe operators hands are lying upon the bed as it moves towardregistering position.

For practicing the removal of condensate I provide a pressing bed whichis unheated and equipped with passageways for removing and carrying awaycondensate formed during a pressing operation. The bed illustrated isprovided with a sloping bottom 14 having longitudinal ribs 15 upon whichis supported a wire mesh 16, a spring padding H and a cover cloth 18 sothat the entire pressing surface is pervious to the moisture and vaporspresent when damp articles are pressed upon the bed. The ribs 15 havesuitable openings 19 therethrough adjacent the sloping bottom so thatall the moisture formed within the hollow bed may be brought to a commondrainage point 89. The bed-supporting pedestal is cored out to provide apassageway 8| which leads to a conduit 82 supported on the bed carriagein a manner to be moved therewith in all positions of the bed. Theoutlet end of the conduit is preferably provided with perforations 83through which condensation is discharged into a receptacle carried bythe press frame. The receptacle shown is an elongated trough 84 runningfrom front to rear of the machine and in such a position that the outletend of conduit 82 is in position to discharge into the trough as the bedmoves backward and forward in its registering movement. The troughdrains to a common outlet 85 where conduit 86 conducts away thecondensate to a pump 81. This pump may be actuated by the press movingparts as illustrated. the particular arrangement shown comprising a pumpcylinder 88 supported on the base of the machine and provided with apiston 89 actuated through a piston rod 90 which is connected by a link9| with lever 92. The lever 92 is pivotally supported at a central point93 by means of a bracket 94 which may conveniently be a part of the pumpcasting. The other end of lever 92 is pivotally connected at 95 with alink 96 which in turn is pivotally connected at 91 with the saddlemember 30 which, as previously described, is operated by the press motor26. The intake conduit for pump 81 is provided with a check valve 98which permits flow toward the pump only, and the discharge conduit 99 isprovided with a check valve I08 which permits flow from the pump only.Conduit 99 discharges into conduit |9l which may be an open drain lineor it may be a return line adapted to return the condensate from thepress to a boiler or other similar mechanism.

The removal of condensate during a pressing operation is accomplished asfollows:

With the bed in its forward or open position as shown in solid lines inFig. 1, the operator arranges a moist article upon the surface of thepressing bed and pulls the control handle 56 which by the mechanismpreviously described moves the bed inwardly to registering positionbeneath the head and then upwardly into pressure engagement when theparts assume the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. l. The finalportion of the movement into pressure engagement is accomplished bymeans of a quick opening secondary inlet valve 42 which, as previouslydescribed, is opened suddenly and admits full line pressure beneathpiston 21 and causes a very sudden closing of the press which brings thehead and bed into a sealing relation in such a manner as to trap agoodly portion of the air and vapor' within the hollow bed. It will benoted from. an inspection of Fig. 3 that the bed is provided with anupwardly extending flange I02 about its periphery. It will also be notedthat the arrangement of the pressing surface and the spring padding 11provides a bellows-like construction and the arrangement is such thatwhen the pressing members are squeezed together flange H12 is not quitein contact with the head but serves suliiciently to inclose the spaceimmediately beneath the pressing surface so that air and vapor beingunable to escape through the cover cloth or around the edges to anysubstantial. degree are compressed by the downward movement of thecontiguous pressing surfaces and are forced downwardly throughpassageway 8| and conduit 82 and thus aids the removal of vapor andcondensate from the bed. It may be seen from the arrangement of thecondensate removal passages that most of the condensate will flow outnaturally by gravity but this action is greatly aided by theconstruction just described.

When the saddle 30 moves downward at the close of a pressing operationthe pump piston 89 moves upward in its cylinder, as will be apparentfrom a study of Fig. 4. This draws condensate from trough 84 throughconduit 86 into the pump chamber and when saddle 30 moves upward duringthe next pressing operation the piston 89 moves downward and dischargescondensate through check valve I00 to conduits 99 and NH. Air is fromtime to time drawn into the pump chamber and the pump would eventuallybecome air bound were it not for a vent line I03 which communicates atone end with the pump cylinder just below the uppermost position ofpiston 89 and which is arranged to discharge its contents into thetrough 84. Any air trapped in the pump cylinder is thus relieved throughthe vent and any slight amount of condensate which might be dischargedthrough the vent, if the pump were entirely filled with condensate,would be harmlessly discharged into the trough.

What I claim is:

1. In a press of the class described, the combination of coactingrelatively movable pressing members, one of which is unheated andprovided with means for removing condensate therefrom during a pressingoperation, means for operating said press, and means actuated by saidpress operating means for pumping said condensate from said condensateremoving means.

2. In a press of the class described, the combination of coactingrelatively movable pressing members, one of which is unheated andprovided with means for removing condensate therefrom during a pressingoperation, means for operating said press, means for storing condensateremoved during a pressing operation, and means actuated by said pressoperating means during a subsequent pressing operation for pumping saidstored condensate from said condensate storage means.

3. In a press of the class described, the combination of coactingrelatively movable pressing members, one of which is provided with meansfor removing condensate therefrom during a pressing operation, powermeans for operating said press, means for storing condensate removedduring a pressing operation, and means actuated by said power meansduring a subsequent pressing operation for pumping said condensate'fromsaid storage means.

4. In a press of the class described, the combination of coactingrelatively movable pressing members, one of which is hollow and unheatedand provided. with a vapor-pervious pressing surface and. a compressiblesupporting structure therefor, a drainage conduit communicating at oneend with said hollowmember, a condensate receptacle adjacent the otherend of said conduit when said members are in pressing position, andmeans for suddenly closing and sealing said meme bars in pressingengagement to compress said supporting structure, whereby condensateformed in said hollow member is forced through said conduit into saidreceptacle.

5. In a press of the class described, the combination of a frame, a headstationary on the frame, a hollow unheated pressing bed having avaporpervious cover and being movable into and out of registration withthe head and into and out of pressing engagement therewith, a drainageconduit carried by the bed and communicating at one end with said bed,and a condensate receptacle extending along the frame at points adjacentthe outlet end of said conduit in all positions of said bed.

6. In a press of the class described, the combination of a frame, a headstationary on the frame, a hollow unheated pressing bed having avaporpervious cover and being movable into and out of registration withthe head and into and out of pressing engagement therewith, a drainageconduit carried by the bed and communicating at one end with said bed,and a trough on said frame extending in the direction of the registeringmovement of said bed in position to lie beneath the outlet end of saidconduit during said bed movement.

7. In a press of the class described, the combination of a head, ahollow unheated pressing bed having a vapor-pervious cover and beingmovable into and out of registration with said head and into and out ofpressing engagement therewith, a drainage conduit carried by the bed andcommunicating at one end with said hollow bed for removing condensatetherefrom, means for receiving condensate from said conduit, means formoving said bed into and out of registration, power means for movingsaid bed into pressure engagement, and means actuated by said powermeans for pumping condensate from said receiving means.

8. In a press of the class described, the combination of a head, ahollow unheated pressing bed having a vapor-pervious cover and beingmovable into and out of registration with said head and into and out ofpressing engagement therewith, a drainage conduit carried by the bed andcommunicating at one end with said hollow bed, means for moving said bedinto and out of registration, a trough adapted to receive condensatefrom the outlet end of said conduit as the bed moves into and out ofregistration, power means for moving said bed into pressure engagement,and a pump actuated by said power means and operable to removecondensate from said trough.

9. In a press of the class described, the combination of a head, ahollow unheated pressing bed having a vapor-pervious cover and beingmovable into and out of registration with said head and into and out ofpressing engagement therewith, a drainage conduit carried by the bed andcommunicating at one end with said hollow bed,

means for moving said bed into and out of registration, a trough adaptedto receive condensate from the outlet end of said conduit as the bedmoves into and out of registration, a fluid pressure actuated piston formoving said bed into pressure engagement, and pump means actuated bysaid piston to remove condensate from said trough.

10. In a press of the class described, the combination of coactingrelatively movable pressing members, one of which is provided with meansfor condensing vapor formed during a pressing operation and with meansfor removing the condensate from the member, means for opening andclosing the press, and reciprocating means for pumping the condensatefrom said removing means, said pumping means being connected with thepress operating means and arranged to make intake and discharge strokesin accordance with the opening and closing movements of the press.

11. In a pressing machine, a frame, a heated pressing head memberthereon, a coacting pressing bed member movable vertically on said frameinto and out of pressing engagement with said head member to iron amoist article between said members, said bed member including avaporpervious cover and an unheated chamber communicating therewith forcondensing vapor passing out of an ironed article and a drainage conduitfor conducting vapor condensate from said chamber, and a receptacle onsaid frame for receiving condensate discharged by said conduit.

12. In a pressing machine, a pair of coacting relatively movable headand bed pressing members, power means for causing relative movementbetween said members for a pressing operation, one of said members beingheated for ironing a moist article, the other of said members having avapor-pervious cover and an unheated chamber communicating therewith forcondensing vapor passing out of an ironed article and a drainage conduitfor conducting vapor condensate from said chamber, a receptacle on saidframe for receiving condensate discharged by said conduit and meansoperated by said power means for pumping condensate from saidreceptacle.

ANGUS F. HANNEY.

